Arctic Shrew
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| Sorex arcticus Kerr, 1792 |
The Arctic Shrew (Sorex arcticus) is a medium-sized shrew found in Canada and the northern United States. Separate species status has been proposed for the Maritime Shrew (Sorex maritimensis) which is found in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia and had been considered to be a subspecies of the Arctic Shrew. The Tundra Shrew (Sorex tundrensis) was formerly considered to be a subspecies of the Arctic Shrew.
It is dark brown or black on its back, lighter brown on its flanks and lighter underneath. The fur is grayer in winter time. Its body is about 11 cm in length including a 4 cm long tail and it weighs about 10 g.
This animal is found in wetlands, especially swamps, or open areas near wetlands. Adults are territorial.
It eats insects, worms and small invertebrates. Predators include hawks and owls.
This animal is active day and night year-round. It is generally solitary except during mating in spring. The female has one litter of 5 to 9 young in a nest made by the female. Males may mate with more than one female.
[edit] References
- ^ Hutterer, Rainer (16 November 2005). in Wilson, D. E., and Reeder, D. M. (eds): Mammal Species of the World, 3rd edition, Johns Hopkins University Press, 284. ISBN 0-801-88221-4.
- ^ Insectivore Specialist Group (1996). Sorex arcticus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 12 May 2006. Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is of least concern
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